ABSTRACT
The focus of rural development practice, planning and policy has always been agriculture, and developments in the agricultural sector have been quite distinct from those in other areas. Other than rhetorical statements, and the minimal processing of some agricultural products, there has been no interest in rural industrialisation, policy on fisheries has been conspicuous by its absencedespite the large number of coastal dwellers, the significance of marine transport in many provinces and a large Exclusive Economic Zone-and forestry development has contributed much less than it might have to the economy, engendered substantial ecological degradation in several areas and been the focus of a major inquiry on corruption. Forestry became one of the most important sectors of the economy in the early 1990s, with exports valued at much more than all agricultural products together in 1994. In a situation where planning has been largely absent, integrated rural development has made no headway, except for brief periods in particular regions where there have been external pressures, and rural businesses have been only intermittently successful. The growth of the national economy and the growing significance of foreign investment in natural resource development (timber, fish and minerals) have resulted in an emphasis on growth and production rather than job creation and
broadly based development, whilst sustainable development has, at best, been a slogan.
